Historic Heart - St Petersburg - page 84

» Free Art Locals flock to the Hermitage ( CLICK HERE ) on the first Thursday of
each month when entrance is free, although the crowds can be huge!
» Hangouts At the weekend the bars on ul Dumskaya ( CLICK HERE ) are party
central for St Petersburg's cool kids and a local experience not to be missed. The even
more 'in the know' crowd hangs out in the bars around nearby Bankovsky per.
Getting There & Away
» Metro This neighbourhood is served by three metro stations: the interconnecting
Nevsky Prospekt (Line 2) and Gostiny Dvor (Line 3) and the brand-new Admiraltey-
skaya (Line 5), right around the corner from the Hermitage.
» Trolleybus The number 7 bus, which runs the length of Nevsky pr, goes past
Palace Sq and then crosses Dvortsovy most to Vasilyevsky Island.
» Marshrutka Very useful for getting up or down Nevsky pr in a matter of minutes,
hundreds of minibuses run this route - but to check they don't turn off halfway, ask
the driver if they go down 'vyess Nyevsky' (all of Nevsky pr).
Lonely Planet's Top Tip
Due to a long-standing problem with empty tables at lunchtime, even pretty up-
market restaurants in the historic heart offer excellent-value biznes lanch (busi-
ness lunch), a set meal (often with elements of choice) that can be enjoyed
between noon and 4pm. Even when lunch deals aren't offered, many places of-
fer reductions of up to 20% on meal prices if you eat before the evening, making
this a great time to eat out for those on a tight budget.
Best Places to Eat
» MiX in St Petersburg ( CLICK HERE )